October 1999

Between friends

Bordering on Perfection

Don't be fenced in by using wallpaper borders just at the wall's... borders. These four inventive designs use borders to create style-setting wainscots.

It's a Wrap

If the kitchen is the heart of a home, the front porch is the soul. So, when Janet and Stephen Conran took on the loving restoration of their late-1800s Victorian in Newtonville, Massachusetts, they made sure the wraparound porch was more than just an outdoor extension of the inside living space.

Living with quilts

"Quilting was an important outlet for women and men who, with their imagination and diligence in needlework, made beautiful works of art."

Leather

It used to be that only the upper crust could afford to own real leather furniture; the rest of us had to make do with synthetic substitutes. But in recent years, prices have started to come down as leather has become more popular. Manufacturers are offering a greater choice in styles, making it possible to find leather to suit almost every taste and budget. Before you invest in this practical, versatile furniture, saddle up with some savvy buying tips.

Found-Space Home Offices

Planning a home office means finding a place to set up shop, a task that may require less space than you think. Before you start, ponder these possibilities.

Garages Plus

In the dark days of the Depression, a car in every garage was a vision of prosperity, but two cars in a two-car garage is a tight squeeze today. Build this organizing system to bust the clutter.

TO ORDER PLANS

Family room facelift

Friendly Face for the Neighborhood

Retirement and the wish to settle in a quiet, historic community brought Betty and Paul Hagedorn to Jacksonville, Oregon. A moratorium on new construction, however, led the couple to buy a fixer-upper that was built as a gold miner's shack in the late 1800s. "It had been added onto and was a mess," Betty says. "Our children thought we were crazy to take this on, but I had a vision of what it could be."

Tabletop Topiaries

Going for the Light

The original layout of this remodeled kitchen wasn't just inefficient-- it was downright dangerous. Locating the sink on one side of the room and the range on the other put steaming cookware on a collision course with pedestrian traffic. Three door openings added to the congestion.

Holiday make-aheads

Get a jump on the holidays this year with decorations and gifts that range from whimsical to elegant. Our kits include what you need to make these exclusive Better Homes and Gardens designs.

Same Tiles, New Look

If your bathroom is blah but your piggy bank is hollow, consider scaling down the bath's renovation. Rub-on transfers and enamel paints made specifically for ceramic or plastic tiles will perk up your bathroom the easy way, one tile at a time. Order a preassembled kit to duplicate our design, or purchase materials separately at a crafts store.

ROSY TILE EMBELLISHMENTS SPECIAL KIT OFFER

Mercury Falling

CALCULATE ENERGY SAVINGS ONLINE

If you're taking on a remodeling project or considering replacing a few appliances, take a look at the Alliance to Save Energy's online "Home Energy Checkup" before you start.

Take your safe drive in style

Volvo's curvy new compacts start at $22,900.

The Eyes Have It

College @ Home

New technologies bring college classes-- and degrees-- to your living room.

Home or Away: The Dilemma of Motherhood

Working parents, particularly women, must make difficult choices between staying home with children or returning to the workplace. But which is the best choice-- the job outside the home, the job as stay-at-home mother, or some combination of the two?

Big ideas for small bulbs

The wee flowers of small bulbs would be lost in the floral abundance of June. Fortunately, they bloom in late winter, popping up through slush and mud to catch your eye and lift your heart. Plant some this fall.

Bulb Gardens to Go

TEST GARDEN TIP

EDITOR'S CHOICE

PERFECT PAIRS

LOOKING GOOD

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Shaping plants into sculpture

Topiary-- the art of trimming and training plants into ornamental shapes-- calls for the eye of a sculptor and a gardener's green thumb. While the sheared topiaries of formal gardens can take years to attain a recognizable form, the tabletop versions are instantly satisfying. Made with fast-growing English ivy on wire frames, they're part houseplant, part living sculpture.

Grace in a small space

When their youngest son flew their suburban coop, Connie and Dan Driscoll decided it was time to migrate to the city to be closer to their careers. In doing so, they downsized from a five bedroom house to five rooms total.

Three bath upgrades

For a brief time during childhood, most of us probably liked the bathroom. There were squishy bubbles, squeaky rubber birds, and plastic boats that sailed and sank in the seas. At some point, though, bathroom time became a hassle. Tight space, paired with hectic routines, often pitted family members against each other in battles for shower and mirror time. But you can boost your bath's function with a roomier layout, and polish its look with new fixtures and finishes. From there on out, it's smooth, sudsy sailing.

Master Suite Additions

King-size ambitions don't fit into a twin-size space-- so if you're looking to gain privacy and convenience for your master suite, adding on may be your only choice. Will a modest-size bump-out suffice or should you consider a full-scale addition? Before putting pen to paper, ponder the planning strategies that helped these two second-floor suites measure up.

Roasting Gear

Treats and No-Trick Costumes

You'll create quite a buzz with our costumes-- perfect for a garden party or a stroll through the neighborhood with candy sack in hand. And we've got party treats and crafts that include hats, bats, and cats.

The man next door